Starting August 31, Amazon will require third-party sellers of books, CDs and DVDs in the continental US to deliver their products to customers more quickly, within four to eight days. (The window has been from four to 14 days.) The new guidelines were announced in an email to sellers, explaining that “Customers are more likely to purchase products that have a faster estimated delivery time at checkout.” Sellers who do not meet guidelines risk bad reviews, reduced visibility, and even removal. The change will likely mean higher costs for sellers, many of whom rely on the post office’s cheaper, slower media mail […]
Archives for August 2017
People, Etc.
Erin Vandeveer returns to Abrams in the new role of senior production manager, starting August 9. Most recently she was studio manager for St. Martin’s. Alana Yuster has joined Igloo Books as national account manager. Previously she was brand manager at Penguin Random House. Agnieszka Mizak has been promoted to the new role of managing director for APA publications, publisher of Insight Guides and Berlitz. Julie Dinneen has joined D4EO Literary Agency as agent, looking for literary fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction, all subgenres of romance and select memoir. Professor of English at Harvard Steph Burt and professor of English at Virginia Tech Carmen Giménez […]
Quarto In Talks with Buyer After Poor First Half
Quarto has effectively been in play since their profit warning about a month ago, which took the stock down close to 45 percent, and today the company acknowledged having “received an approach” from a buyer. Acknowledging that “discussions with the bidder are at an early stage” and could fail to go anywhere, the company says the offer price is “attractive and reflective of the inherent value of the business” — so presumably well above the current trading price. At the same time, however, the company announced results for the first half of the year that were weaker than expected, even […]
Another Good Quarter for Simon & Schuster
CBS reported second quarter earnings on Monday afternoon and publisher Simon & Schuster built on a good first quarter with more gains, rebounding to a more usual second quarter performance. Sales of $206 million were up $19 million from a year ago, “led by growth in print book sales and digital audio sales,” with the additional sales lifting operating income by $2 million to $28 million. (In 2014 they did $211 million in the second quarter, dropping to $199 million in 2015 and $187 million in 2016.) Results were lifted by the Adams Media acquisition, though ceo Carolyn Reidy notes […]
Barnes & Noble Education Buys Online Writing Business for $58.5 Million
Barnes & Noble Education acquired Student Brands on Friday for $58.5 million in cash. Student Brands is a subscription-based writing skills services business, with properties in the US, Brazil, France and Mexico. BNED has been trying to buy its way to growth, so far without convincing investors. Earlier this year they paid the Riggios $174 million to buy MBS Textbook Exchange (and in 2016, their more modest acquisitions included LoudCloud, for $17.9 million, and Promoversity). Despite this year’s over $230 million in acquisitions, the company has a market cap of less than $340 million. Release In other acquisitions, Netflix made […]
Briefs: New Store for DC, Torture Book Stuck In Government Review, and More
Bookselling Former Kramerbooks & Afterwords employees Scott Abel and Jake Cumsky-Whitlock will open a new bookstore in Washington D.C. “soon.” Solid State Books will be located in the Apollo building on H St. NE, which has a new Whole Foods as well, and according to the website, will “operate as a full-service general interest bookstore with a deep and diverse selection of fiction and non-fiction titles curated to appeal to neighborhood residents of all ages as well as to the many visitors from other parts of DC, Virginia, Maryland, and beyond.” Abel was general manager at Karmerbooks for a decade and Cumsky-Whitlock was head buyer. […]